The Dancing Hare ~ Introduction

The Rabbit may seem a strange subject for such a wide variety of legend and lore from all over the world. After all, he is timid, frail and nervous; forever hunted and preyed upon by beasts of both land and air. Rabbit has no sharp fangs or ferocious roar, and yet he survives, endures, and prospers; by virtue of his swiftness and alertness, adaptability and resourcefulness. Perhaps it is this, our human tendency to root for the underdog, which has given rise to so many stories, beliefs, and legends about this otherwise rather unassuming and ubiquitous animal.

The Dancing Hare is a collection and celebration of these stories, which - like Rabbit himself - come from every corner of the world. Though they are often contradictory in nature - again, like Rabbit - there are certain themes and motifs which are repeated and seem to hold consistent in spite of the tale's origin.

A note: While the Rabbit and Hare are in reality two quite different and distinct animals, for the purposes of this site they are treated as interchangeable, for it is the symbolic rather than the scientific qualities which are important. For information on flesh-and-blood Rabbits and Hares, please see our Further Reading section.